According to a new report, Microsoft plans to continue to blur the lines between its traditional Windows PC platform, its Windows Phone mobile platform and its Xbox One game console operating system with a new update codenamed “Threshold.” Alleged details on the company’s plans for a Spring 2015 release were revealed by Mary Jo Foley of ZDNet. The report mentions the following regarding matter:

"Threshold" will not represent a single Windows OS, but instead will reportedly add the same core set of "high value activities." These are said to potentially include products such as Office, Bing, Intune and more.

Microsoft is also said to be planning a single app store that will work across its Windows OS, Windows Phone and Xbox One platforms. The company appears to be aggressively working to create a common experience among all of its operating systems, giving users of the Windows ecosystem a common look and feel on Xbox, Windows Phone and Windows PCs. Specifically that all three major platforms feature the tile-based “Metro” user interface as their primary method of input. This appears to be a very different approach from that of Apple, which has so far kept the interfaces of its Mac OS, iOS mobile platform and Apple TV very distinct. There are elements that have been borrowed from each but Apple seems more focused on creasing cross-platform services such as iTunes and iCloud rather than replicating the feel of iOS in the Mac OS X.

The convergence strategy Microsoft seems to be using has gone beyond software and includes hardware such as the company’s first-party lineup of Surface tablets, aiming to bridge the gap between notebooks and tablets. Third-party vendors also appear to be releasing so-called “convertible” PCs as well, which can serve as both a traditional laptop and a touchscreen tablet.

Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, has panned Microsoft’s attempts at converge stating that they are “not pleasing to the user.” He compared hybrid tablet-notebook devices to that of selling a refrigerator with toaster functions tacked on the side. He stated the following regarding the matter:

Anything can be forced to converge. But the problem is that the products are about tradeoffs. You begin to make tradeoffs to the point where what you have left at the end of the day doesn't please anyone.

What do you think about Microsoft’s strategy? Would you like to see Apple adopt a similar one or do prefer Apple’s stance on the matter?

The key to true “cross platform” is common chip architecture. Without that you’re just playing dress-up. The problem with Surface and Surface Pro is that they are two completely different products and systems designed to look exactly alike, which is nice to have a common interface, but at the same time it unfortunately, and effectively, confuses the consumer.

If MS was upfront about this and explained it out, it would be much better. They could just say, “we’ve made a common interface to make the products easier to use, but they are NOT the same product.” But they don’t. Unfortunately, they seem content with making people believe they are getting a full x86 version of Windows for $500 when they aren’t at all. And salespeople are seizing the opportunity to take advantage of that confusion to boost their sales, including Microsoft salespeople!

I kind of like where they are going with converging the UI to make it easier for consumers to interact with multiple devices, but I don’t care for the confusion they are intentionally causing to try to make their limited mobile products more than what they really are: limited mobile products. Also, I think it would just make the UI feel old much faster.

From an IT perspective, many users i speak with are somewhat leery of buying a Surface. They believe MS will change the ecosystem again at will and they'll be stuck with an obsolete tablet/desktop. Tim makes great points about forcing convergence. It will not work. That is plain to see with MS efforts thus far.

Products can be services and software, not just hardware. Google sells better products in those categories than Apple.

Google's software is free and relies on hardware manufacturers to make their product, without good hardware you can't keep up with good software. And there are more cheaply made android tablets out there. Google and Microsoft are the same when it comes to software. Software is only as good as it's hardware.